Chasing december
by LavenderBrownie
Summary: Another one of those stories telling the tale of young Kana later to be Sokka and Katara's Gran Gran and her life on the North Pole. Only this time the storyline is given a little twist. Rated T for now!
1. Intro

Love like winter

Love like winter

So, here's my new story, my first real Avatar fan fiction.

I'm surprised at myself that it's not a cheesy Kataang fanfic like I intented to write, because I'm in love with those and I can't stop myself from making them up, but it's about Kana, y'know, Sokka and Katara's grandmother.

We all had a youth one day, and hers is awesome to write about.

So, enjoy this Kana story called Love Like Winter, reviews are appreciated as ever 3

And yes, it might get dirty somewhere along the line, but I'm not quite sure yet. For now, I'll just rate it T.

Love,

L'author


	2. Chapter One

Chapter one

**Chapter one**

'Miss Kana, it's time to get up!'

'I'm sure it is,' Kana mumbled, rolling from one side to another, not planning on coming out of bed anytime (day, really) soon.

'But it's a big day!' said the maid, drawing aside the curtains that had kept the rays of sun from hurting Kana's eyes. She didn't like colour right now.

'Not really, it's just another twenty-four hours of hurt and torture,' Kana said grumpily, rubbing her eyes. Since it wasn't possible to ever have such an attitude in a room with her mother, or any significant adult, for that matter, she stuck to the maid.

'Ah, Miss Kana, smile for me.'

…

'Fine.'

Yawning, Kana got up, which brought her the reward of getting hoisted into a dress with a top part that was, literally, breathtaking. During the fifteen minutes that the maid took to half-murder Kana, the latter rattled about dying and suicide, solely for the pleasure it brought her to make at least someone unhappy that day. After all, no-one permitted _her_ to have fun, either.

'A wonderful day, Miss Kana!' smiled the maid when Kana stumbled out of the room without any elegance, holding up the fur-rimmed garment that was aiming to kill her.

'Oh, Kana, you look lovely!'

'Thank you, mother,' Kana said, making a small bow at the bottom of the stairs, before seating herself at the table for breakfast. Her mother, Anya, was sitting at the head of the table, with at the direct opposite her husband, Kana's father, Chueh.

'Good morning, Kana,' Chueh said, holding his goblet in such a way that the liquid within it just didn't fall onto the table, causing Anya's eyes to fixate on nothing else but the substance within the cup. Therefore, she didn't hear Kana's polite question about how their night's rest had been. Only did she look up when Kana said, really loud:

'Yes, I slept great, too, until Anji and her lovely –'

'No insults so early in the morning, love.'

Her mother kept staring at the cup.

'I said lovely! How is that an insult?' Kana reacted through gritted teeth. She wasn't allowed to say anything in this house.

'Oh, you're just being stubborn again. Finish your breakfast, we have news!'

Kana pouted and finished her cold sea prune in no time, hoping to get to her friend Yugoda as soon as possible.

'Tonight, there's a dinner party at the _palace_,' Anya roared as soon as Kana had finished her plate.

'Well, that is wonderful. I assume you and father are going, then?' Kana asked.

'Oh yes, we are. But us, parents, concerned and with the best interest at heart, and of course…'

Kana had learned how to shut down her senses to her mother's all-penetrating voice (but not her daughter's eardrums, oh no!) and tuned in right in time to find out that there was another dinner party for 'the youngsters'.

'There will be supervision, of course,' Anya laughed, and with a not very compassionate voice, she continued, 'by those who weren't invited to the King. And Kana, your hair doesn't look quite all right; did Anji do anything at all to make you look well?'

'You told her she looked lovely ten minutes ago,' Chueh interfered.

'Yes, but I was only talking about the dress. Not that she will be wearing it tonight, oh no, people might spot her in it today and wonder if her parents can afford their daughter a wardrobe at all!'

'Ooh, what if!' Kana said sarcastically, but the comment was wisely ignored to prevent another early fight (they seemed to be having a lot of those).

'Well, I suppose you will be headed for the young healer's house again?' Anya asked Kana, but before she could answer, Kana (and the house) was shaken by the high-pitched scream that her mother produced. 'ANJI! GET OVER HERE! Please.'

Kana rolled her eyes at the hypocrisy that was her mother.

Anji arrived a mere fifteen seconds later, and Kana was quite impressed at the maid's speed, but before she could make her a compliment, she was pulled into position and had to sit still for another fifteen minutes before her hair was finally approved by her mother.

'You can't walk around sporting a braid, sweetie!' Anya said cheerily to an even more so Kana (but not really), planting a kiss on her daughter's cheek. 'Go have fun!'

Fun was always even more a lifetime-lasting experience when having trouble inhaling oxygen, and Kana felt like fainting by the time she'd reached the front door.

'Mum?' Kana breathed, barely audible, and a few seconds later she repeated it a little louder.

'Yes?'

'I think I'm going to…'

There was a loud noise as Kana fainted on the floor.

… And woke up ten minutes later only to be sent off in the same dress, as tight as ever, with the advice not to put up a show again for her own comfort.

'Oh, it's all about appearance, Kana, ooh, don't trip over that device of death that we made you wear, we'll look bad!' Kana said to herself, sulking as she couldn't pull off a right impersonation of her mother.

'You never look bad!' a voice behind her said.

'Oh. Pakku,' Kana said dryly. It was commonly known that the young waterbender was the most likely to be her fiancé as soon as she turned sixteen (in three days). Their parents were all friends and the fact that their children were almost of the same age and soon both legally allowed to wed, was a lovely convenience that everyone was thrilled about! Yes, almost everyone, but as easily as ever, once person was ignored – the soon-bride to be.

'Hey, I was just walking over to waterbending practice and I didn't really notice you –'

'But then you did?'

'Er – yeah. Sooo… how are you! You look great!'

'Thin, too?'

'Always.'

They kept on walking, Kana with her arms folded, Pakku attempting to wrap his around her, but she kept dodging him until he gave up and accepted his failure.

'Sooo…' Pakku said again, now swinging his arms backwards and forwards like a spastic dogpanzee, stretching his 'o' until he ran out of air.

'So, bye!' Kana said, happy to get rid of him, turning left where he was supposed to go right. But because it was her lucky day, he followed her.

'No, wait, my training schedule changed! I just found out!'

'The voices in your head told you that you should stalk me all the way to my friend's house?' Kana asked sweetly.

'Yes. They are very wise and highly respected by yours truly.'

Kana couldn't suppress a smirk, and he obviously misinterpreted the smile as a gesture to keep on talking, and so he kept on rambling until she shut Yugoda's front door in his face (well, actually, the maid did).

'See you tonight!' his voice sounded.

'You mean… the dinner party?' Kana asked shocked. 'Oh no.'

'Oh yes!'


	3. Chapter two

Chapter two

**Chapter two**

'Yugoda, RESCUE ME!' Kana shrieked, pacing around her best friend's living room, almost tripping over her dress every time she walked around the sofa where Yugoda was lying.

'Don't worry; I'll be there, too! You know I have wit like no other and can make Pakku feel like a miserable, insignificant little – er – Pakku in a matter of seconds!'

'Yes, but he'll still BE there!' Kana reacted, dropping herself on the sofa next to Yugoda, who mockingly gave her friend some space.

'He'll be there, but miserable, insignificant and little.'

'Yes, miserable, insignificant and little – but he's ever so present. Plus, I'm not even sure you can make him feel bad about himself.'

'You could.'

'Yes, but I'm human and I haven't sinned all of my life. You're already rotten.'

'I guess you're right.'

The two girls giggled and Kana felt her stomach lurch. She'd been feeling like that around Yugoda for a little while now, and she couldn't quite place it. She looked at her friend's oval face and long eyelashes above pale blue eyes; they shimmered with joy.

'So what will you be wearing?' Kana asked after a little silence, and Yugoda looked up.

'Like you care!'

'Well, not really,' Kana smiled, 'it was just to fill up the silence.'

'Not all silences are bad, you know. I kind of enjoyed this one. The silences between you and Pakku, when he's finally given up his extensive babbles to get your love, attention or at least sympathy, _those _are awkward.'

'They are,' Kana answered, ready to give Yugoda a speech about how endless his rambling was, when the latter grabbed Kana's wrist.

'You're hurt!'

'Oh, it's nothing,' Kana said, looking down at her wrist, where a dark red cut was running straight over her veins. 'Just got hit by a shard of ice, that's all.'

'Who di – oh, was that the time I hit you?'

'Er, yeah, kind of, but it's no b –'

'YUUUUUUDI, BRING US SOME WATER!'

'You remind me of my mother!' Kana said when she heard the undoubtedly trembling maid dropping a bucket in the kitchen.

'It's what I aim for.'

'But she's a healer, that's _so _boring! You can do more with your waterbending and you know it, you could fight with the men!'

'No, I cannot! What if they discover me? I think it's my destiny to grow old here, teaching women to heal. And that's not a bad thing, you know.'

'But it's not what you want…'

Their 358th conversation on the subject was abruptly ended when the maid came running inside. Yugoda, still holding Kana's wrist with her long, supple fingers, smiled at her and gestured she could leave the room.

'So, let's fix this baby right up.'

'Thanks,' Katara smiled when the soothing water slowly healed the cut, and she experienced another silence with her friend that almost felt like home.

'I'm thinking about running away from home.'

'Don't be ridiculous.'

Yugoda stopped in her tracks and Kana, too, slowed down to face her friend. They were on their way to the dinner 'party' (what joy they would experience), Kana in a cornflower blue dress, and Yugoda in one that was indigo.

Kana folded her arms. 'Seriously, why would I not? I hate Pakku and I hate my arranged marriage, I hate my parents and I hate –'

'You don't hate the city, the scenery you can wake up with every day – though you have a morning temper, I don't think you enjoy morning walks at all - and you especially don't hate me. Isn't my presence enough to make you stay?'

Kana shrugged, and they proceeded to walk towards the lit building at the end of the street. Yugoda's face shone peculiar in the pale moonlight and the lanterns that lead their way.

'Come on, don't have thoughts like that, you've got enough to stay for. You can avoid Pakku as much as you like – besides, that hasn't even been planned yet.'

As they entered the already crowded party, Kana softly snapped at the waterbender:

'You know as well as I do that it will not take long to arrange, and that I'm running out of time.'

'Time for what?' Yugoda said, a little louder, to be audible over the chattering voices and exotic music. Kana saw an overly excited sungi hornist, whose face was reddening as the two friends spoke.

'Forget it,' Kana said agitatedly, and the first person to approach her was given a very ugly look. Of course, that person was Pakku, his hair combed neatly and wearing a white costume which he looked… okay, so he looked good. That didn't mean she wanted to marry him; he was so… cocky and self-conscious. A little bit too conscious; she couldn't imagine spending the rest of her life with him – five minutes was barely doable!

'Oh – hi, Pakku,' she said without the slightest hint of enthusiasm, but his twisted mind probably spotted some non-existent gestures that screamed 'DANCE WITH ME, PAKKU', for he stretched out his hand and gave her his most 'charming' look (which was kind of pouty and scared the living spirits out of her), saying: 'Will you –'

'Oh, fine, let's get this over with,' Kana spat, her eyes searching for Yugoda, but the latter was entwined with some guy that Kana (and no doubt Yugoda, either) had never seen before in her life, and in a weird rage of jealousy, Kana wrapped her arms around Pakku and looked him straight in the eyes (how repelling this might be to her).

'So…' he said, massively impressed by this sudden sign of liking, and he took advantage of the moment by moving even closer towards her, so that the space of inches between them was filled and their faces were barely millimetres apart.

Oh, how uncomfortable. First that dress tried to rid her of her air supply and now Pakku was going to do the same?

'So,' she answered quite coldly, contradicting her body language like no other could. She eyed Yugoda, about two foot away, and their eyes met. Immediately after that, Yugoda playfully kissed her new toy on the cheek.

'What!' Kana exclaimed. 'How can she –'

'There is no she, Kana… Is that what you're worried about? I will never be true to anyone other than you!' Pakku smiled, giving her a should-be-comforting nudge.

'Oh, get lost,' Kana said, and she quickly discarded Pakku at the snack table, taking place on a chair at the dinner table, where the kids without friends or with a minority complex were anxiously anticipating the end of the party.

'Hi,' Kana said, but none of them responded.

'That's okay. I don't like company anyway. Or, at least, not right now. I mean, I do like company, but not from any of –'

'Shush up, weird girl, I was in the realm of Gaggloo and now you've thrown me out! I'll have to breathe ten rainbows before I can get back!' A girl with raven black hair in pigtails said, a furious look in her eyes.

Okay, so not only had she just had a semi-fight with her best friend, hurt her soon-to-be husband (again, but this was the least of her worries) and seated herself at the loser table, now she was being patronized by crazy people.

'Sorry, Queen of Gaggledoo,' Kana apologized, quite sincerely, perhaps these people were the only ones to talk to her during the endless night.

'Gaggloo!' Miss Pigtails screamed, and several people looked up from whatever realm they had just passed into. 'It's Gaggloo, I just told you, they named it after the great swordsman, _duh, _why else would they call it like that? Huh? Well? Do you have any idea? Talk!'

'Yugoda, I'm so sorry for any inappropriate comment I might have made and any obscenities or rudeness I might have implied, I ask you to forgive me and please stay with me until the end of time, for I can no longer bear to be around them, I think it's a sign from the spirits that I must remain forever loyal to you! They're mad! MAD!'

'Kana, your eyes are… bloodshot.'

'They're mad! Insane! Please take me back, or I am banished into the realm of Gaggloo! Don't make me go to Gaggloo!'

Yugoda patted Kana on the back. 'It's okay, you don't have to go to Gaggloo as long as I'm there to waterwhip him into a sissy.'

'Thanks. I really appreciate that. But he's a swordsman, you know, I don't think you…'

Kana didn't finish her sentence and numbly hung against her friend's shoulders. 'Thanks.'

'Let's get the hell out of here,' Kana suggested and Yugoda smiled mischievously.

'Should we? I mean, what if the… adult supervision…'

Yugoda stopped to eye the pathetic excuse for supervision that was one ridiculously drunk man with a disfiguring scar all over his face.

'… notices our absence?'

'I'm sure he would've wanted it that way,' Kana said earnestly.

'Well, then, I accept your proposal and agree to leave this freak convention immediately!'

Laughing into their (very wide) sleeves, they discretely disappeared from the 'party'.

'Oh my gosh, have you ever been to such a lamefest before?' Yugoda asked later on, while they were watching the full moon from one of the many bridges the Northern Water Tribe had built.

'Nah, I'm glad you saved me. You know, that one girl had to breathe ten rainbows…'

'What one girl?'

'The one with the pigtails.'

'You mean Slutty Nutty Lutti?'

'Is her name Slutty, Nutty or Lutti?'

'Guess.'

'I think it's Slutty.'

'She's not that much of a slut, actually. She used to be, but then she got married.'

'Holy spirit water, she's got a husband?! The unfortunate soul!'

Yugoda shrugged.

'He's a nutter as well.'

'So they fit together nicely?'

'Oh yes, he was the one that was drooling over your sleeve while you were sitting there.'

'Someone dr – oh, GROSS!'

Yugoda giggled as Kana removed the semen from her sleeve with a disgusted face.

'So who was the guy whose face you were cleaning?'

'Oh, and what an expert I am when it comes to that!'

Yugoda gave Kana a look that forced Kana to look down. What was wrong with her? She couldn't possibly… like her friend? Well, of course she liked her friend. But –

'His name is… what was his name, anyway? Well he was handsome, and entertaining, for like five minutes. Turned out, he had a horrible breath.'

'Shame on you, Yugoda, you kissing him will be all over town tomorrow!'

'Great, then they can worry about something other than fish and spirits for once.'

Yugoda stood up.

'It's getting late, you know. We should go home.'

'Hey, want to do a sleepover soon?' Kana blurted out. 'I mean, we haven't done one of those for like two months.'

Luckily the moon wasn't quite bright enough to expose her flushed cheeks.

'Sure! I'd love to. My place? No offense, but your mother sneaking into your room every fifteen minutes to check if we're not doing anything out of the ordinary, like laying on the carpet, freaks me out.'

'Great!'

Yugoda hugged Kana (who responded a little stiffly, still shocked from the thought that had wriggled its ugly little self into her brain) and walked away, leaving Kana on the bridge alone. Cripes.


End file.
